The purpose of the course is to increase the awareness of students of the double nature of family businesses. By providing a short insight into the
basics of
SMEs and the characteristics of different types of families, students will be able to identify the family businesses’ most important mechanisms,
their strengths
and weaknesses, and undertand their underlying principles.

Requirements during the semester (homeworks, essays, excercises, teamworks, presentations, part and final oral/written exam etc.):

Individual student’s presentation

Week ofsemester

Topics of lectures/practices

1.

Definitions and theories about Family Busninesses

2.

Importance of Family Firms in the national and world economies

3.

Classification of FBs, types of Family Businesses

4.

EU’s policy for the Family Business

5.

Hungarian FB policy. Available funds and subsidies for family firms.

6.

Foundation of FBs. Motivation factors of the founders.

7.

Life cycles of family firms. Challenges and conflicts in running the business.

8.

Strategic planning and financing of family businesses. The role of equity , bank loans and risk capital.

9.

Questions of management in FBs. Impulsion vs professionalism.

10.

Innovation and growth in FBs.

11.

Will anybody follow? Succession problems in family firms.

12.

Internationalisation of family firms. Success stories abroad.

13.

Values in families and family businesses. CSR or hard capitalism in FBs?

14.

Students’ presentations

Type of evaluation, repetition, calculation of grade, etc.

The final grade is the mean of two marks. The mark for the theory is given for the written examination paper which is due on the week before the last one of the semester (0-50% failed, 51-62% pass, 63-75% satisfactory, 76-87% good, 88-100% excellent.
The second mark is given on the student’s presentation.
Retake of the exam or going for better mark are possible on the 14th week.